Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Princes Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Princes Town

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,089 in Princes Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,816 in Princes Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,542 in Princes Town, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 16% more than Princes Town, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Princes Town are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Princes Town 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$10.15 TTD 68.1

15.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$67.3 TTD 452

-37.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.28 TTD 48.88

44.37%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.92 TTD 19.62

22.95%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.87 TTD 5.86

73.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.76 TTD 5.11

21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.67 TTD 11.20

77.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.35 TTD 15.80

87.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.73 TTD 11.61

-19.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$2.05 TTD 13.78

-8.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.20 TTD 14.76

-29.09%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.70 TTD 18.16

-3.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$2.98 TTD 20.03

179.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$10.58 TTD 71.0

-21.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$14.37 TTD 96.5

-24.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$5.92 TTD 39.78

-54.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.47 TTD 9.86

2.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$4.28 TTD 28.71

-56.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$4.86 TTD 32.61

-54.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.48 TTD 9.94

25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.66 TTD 11.15

34.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.16 TTD 7.78

-7.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.31 TTD 8.83

-16.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$6.00 TTD 40.28

-30.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$17.82 TTD 120

-41.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.18 TTD 14.62

-23.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.81 TTD 18.85

-7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.35 TTD 9.08

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.04 TTD 6.99

196.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.28 TTD 8.61

87.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$1.82 TTD 12.20

71.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.14 TTD 7.67

14.91%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$34.4K TTD 230.7K

-13.25%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$38.9K TTD 261.0K

-39.99%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$81.3 MX$1,406

$79.1 TTD 531

2.77%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.56 MX$390

$47.08 TTD 316

-52.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$61.5 TTD 413

-51.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$43.50 TTD 292

21.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.71 TTD 45.09

-26.68%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$201 MX$3,474

$181 TTD 1,212

11.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$7,160 TTD 48.1K

-27.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$58.3 TTD 391

-38.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$39.07 TTD 262

2.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$97.3 TTD 653

-18.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$88.5 TTD 594

-2.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$294 TTD 1,973

232.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$221 TTD 1,481

113.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$675 TTD 4,533

144.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$443 TTD 2,975

171.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.38

112.27%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Princes Town: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $294 in Princes Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $67.0 in Princes Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $322 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Princes Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 16%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,634 in Princes Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Princes Town, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,089 in Princes Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $181 in Princes Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Princes Town, where all-in costs run around $1,089, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Princes Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Princes Town – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Princes Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.